


Late Nights (losing my mind)

by Strawberi_beri



Category: K-pop, NCT (Band)
Genre: 4 times trope, Blink And You Miss It Slash, Friendship, Late Night Conversations, M/M, Slice of Life, also minor tendery, very minor though, winwin is only mentioned im sorry, wow that is a tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-28
Updated: 2020-08-28
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:15:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26160970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Strawberi_beri/pseuds/Strawberi_beri
Summary: Sometimes going to sleep is the hardest thing--besides living with six other men anyway. Or the one where four times Xiaojun is sleepless in the dorm, and one time Hendery decides to do something about it.
Relationships: Wong Kun Hang | Hendery/Xiao De Jun | Xiao Jun
Comments: 6
Kudos: 132





	Late Nights (losing my mind)

**Author's Note:**

> un-beta'd so sorry for any inconsistencies and spelling errors. I just really needed to write xiaodery talking late at night and also them arguing over the bathroom is what lead me down this rabbit hole. Also I really need more Xiaojun content or WayV content in general. I know they just had 'Bad Alive' eng. release but I am ravenous for more. Please send love to the WayV bois.

Hendery dreams of open fields with giant flowers bigger than his face. The skies every color of the rainbow and he morphs into a dog (or was he already a dog?) and runs through the filed. A bird swoops down and it sings; it sounds a lot like  Winwin . Suddenly he’s surrounded by a whole pack of animals and  Hendery hopes he can remember because Xiaojun’s a bunny with thick, cartoony eyebrows. It’s the funniest thing, but then the sky suddenly turns grey. A loud, thunderous roar  echos and a bolt of lightning crashes too close to his paw.  Hendery startles awake, eyes snapping open as he groggily picks himself up.

“Ugh, god, what time is it,” he grumbles as his hand gropes blindly around the blankets. Squinting at his phone screen, he sighs. It’s way too early to be awake. Shaking his head, he closes his eyes again only for another clanging to jolt him awake. “What the hell,” he mumbles in English, grabbing the first thing his hand finds on the floor.

He stares at Ten’s bed only to find it empty. Right,  SuperM promotions.  Hendery internally groans, he really needs to train the cats to, well, be better guard cats. Slowly making his way out of the room, he checks the hallway to see if any of the other members are awake only to see closed doors. Maybe it’s a racoon. “Wait, why would a racoon be in our apartment?”  Hendery argues with himself as he draws closer to the kitchen.

He doesn’t have time to think why the light’s turned on. He just raises whatever’s in his hand above his head and jumps head first like he does with everything. Except, maybe this time he should’ve at least asked who it was. He stares at Xiaojun’s wide eyes, the man’s figure kneeling down with a frying pan in hand—it's too late though!

Hendery hits the ash haired man upside the head with...a dog toy?

Xiaojun winces the teeniest bit as the toy makes a solid ‘thud’ sound against his head. “Umm,”  Hendery lets his arm awkwardly fall back to his side, “sorry?”

Xiaojun huffs, eyebrows knitted together as he straightens his hair. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that the singer is so much shorter than he is ( Hendery ignores the voice in his head saying he likes the difference); his stare a tad too piercing. Right now is one of those moments. “So, uh, what are you doing awake at like...three in the morning?” Hendery’s eyes dart down to the pan and then back to Xiaojun’s sharp eyes, “late night snack?”

“Did you really think I was an intruder,” Xiaojun questions as he places the pan on the stove. “Because if so, were you really going to protect the dorm with a dog toy?”

“Hey, it’s dark in my room okay? It’s not like Bella would mind, she didn’t even bark.”

“Yeah, because she knows I’m not an intruder,” Xiaojun chuckles, his gaze softening considerably as he starts to meander about the kitchen. “God, I can’t believe we could’ve died because you grabbed a toy instead of an actual weapon.”

Hendery doesn’t bother suppressing his scoff. “Oh yeah, like I just have a bunch of weapons just lying around.” He wiggles his arms violently before letting go of the stuffed toy, “I’ll just stab an intruder with my incredibly blunt drumsticks”. Before he can keep arguing though, a giant yawn bubbles in his throat. He stretches his arms high above his head. “Man, I gotta pee now. Just don’t go burning down the dorm.”

Hendery hears a soft hum in response. As he silently toes his way out of the kitchen and back to the hallway, he briefly stops by a sleeping Bella. “Some guard dog,” he sighs.

The next time  Hendery wakes up, he notices it’s five  til ’ three. There’s a brief thought that maybe Xiaojun will be up again but he quickly tosses that idea in the garbage. Why would his band member be up this late? And why would he care?  Hendery groans as the urge to pee grows. So that’s why his body decided to wake up, huh. 

Yanking the covers off, he lets his feet drag him down the hall. Just before he can open the door leading to sweet relief, a voice stops him. 

“I wouldn’t do that.”

Hendery makes a note in his brain that he did not jump, and if Xiaojun argues otherwise he’s ready to defend his pride to his grave. “Jesus, Dejun,” he scowls at the dimly lit figure. The only light source being the soft blue from Xiaojun’s phone. “What are you doing up right now? You should be asleep. And why can’t I go into the bathroom,”  Hendery demands with a stomp of his foot. Who stops a man from peeing, really?

Xiaojun runs a hand through his messy hair, looking fluffier than usual somehow. “Well, first off  Xuxi passed out in  YangYang’s bed when they got back, so he took my bed. And  Winwin ge already locked his door so,” he shrugs awkwardly. “And Ten ge is in there. It looks like he passed out brushing his teeth.” Hendery doens’t believe the smaller man (people don’t really pass out in the bathroom in real life, right?), so when he opens the door and flicks on the  light he’s surprised to see a passed out Ten sitting on the toilet, a toothbrush dangling precariously from his lips. “I told you,” Xiaojun’s soft voice sings out. 

Hendery huffs and turns back to Xiaojun. With the light from the bathroom pouring in he can get a better look at the singer. The man is practically swimming in his oversized hoodie he’s so fond of wearing, his bottom half clad in basketball shorts. Take care of Ten first, his brain supplies, then force Xiaojun to go back to bed. 

“So, are you going to help me?”

Xiaojun finally tears his gaze away from his phone. “Me? The one you always call tiny and make fun of how skinny I am?” There’s a small hint of hurt in Xiaojun’s voice and  Hendery tucks that bit of knowledge away for another day—there's only so much he wants to deal with at three in the morning. “No, I don’t think I will. Besides, I already tried but I didn’t want to wake him up.”

Great,  Hendery thinks as he tries to shake Ten awake. No use, not that he thought it  would’a worked anyway. Gently removing the toothbrush, he hauls Ten up in his arms and back to their shared room. He shoos both the cats away and drops the older man on top of the sheets. “Gross, maybe I do need to  workout more,” he mumbles as he feels a light sheen of sweat form around his temples.

“Great job,  Hendery ,” Xiaojun chuckles as the younger walks back in. It takes every fiber of Hendery’s being to not flip-off the singer. It’s not too hard because he’s sure the singer would probably cry if he did. 

“Yeah, it wasn’t too hard.”

Xiaojun tilts his head and grins. His sharp eyes look even deadlier in the dim light. “Really? Because those grunts you were doing say otherwise.”

Hendery exhales noisily. “Go to bed, jerk.” And then he closes the bathroom door. When he comes back out after what can only be two minutes, he finds the living room empty and a sleeping Bella in Xiaojun’s place.

“Ugh, fuck, why does my neck hurt so much,” Ten complains as he walks into the kitchen.

“You passed out in the bathroom,”  Hendery grunts as he makes his way to the pre-maid food spread out on the table. “I had to carry  your fat butt back to bed.”

Ten lets out a grin that  Hendery can only identify as being fit for a devil. “Oh  Hendery ,” the shorter exclaims, “my knight in shining armor. I knew there was a reason why you’re my favourite.”

“Hey, I thought that was  Yangyang ,” Lucas pipes in from the living room.

Hendery looks at the youngest who merely shrugs, an identical grin to Ten’s plastered on his face. “ Hendery can keep the title, he does look like a prince after all,”  Yangyang laughs as he drapes himself over Xiaojun.  Hendery chances a look at the ash blonde, only to regret it as he finds the smaller staring back at him intensely.

“Y-Yeah, well, whatever. It’s not a big deal,” he finally mumbles, tearing himself away from a cackling Ten. How come the ground never swallows him up when he needs it.

The third time  Hendery wakes up  it’s three on the dot. He curses his overactive bladder and wonders when did he become so regular? Because he’s anything but regular and his drinks of choice consist of ‘bad for your health’ soda. 

He grumbles kicking off his blanket, on the way out of his shared room, all the way up to the bathroom. He tries to open the door first because ‘who could possibly be up right now’ he thinks. Only to twist the knob and realize, yup, it’s locked.  Hendery curses God and the universe while he’s at it. Instead of knocking on the door and demanding who’s in there,  Hendery presses his ear against the wood. He hears a muffled voice, slightly groggy, but the tone is unmistakable. 

“Xiaojun,” he hisses as he keeps twisting the doorknob, “are you fucking singing in there at three in the morning.”

Before  Hendery can continue his assault, the door cracks open enough for Xiaojun to stick his head out. It’s obvious that the older just rolled out of bed as well; his eyes still red and irritated and hair flying every which way. “Oh,” the singer responds sounding genuinely surprised, “sorry I didn’t hear you. What are you doing up again?”

“Looking for ghosts,”  Hendery grunts, “What do you think? I need to take a piss and you’re hogging the bathroom to sing.” Trying to push the door open more,  Hendery lets out a huff as Xiaojun leans desperately against the door trying to keep it shut.

“Just let me go pee,” Hendery whisper-shouts.

“No, I was here first,” Xiaojun responds back equally heated. “I had this crazy dream. But anyways I dreamt of some lyrics and I need to sing them out and take down notes before I forget.”

“W-what? I’m going to pee my pants,”  Hendery urges as their push-and-pull (or is it push-and-push) game continues.

“ You're a man, you can go anywhere,” Xiaojun argues back as he finally sends  Hendery stumbling away. Dammit, he really does need to work out more. 

Hendery knocks on the door again. He’s not really sure what his plan of action is and it shows when the door opens and he does nothing but stare blankly at his friend. Say something, brain, he  thinks panicked as Xiaojun’s prolonged gaze starts to make him fidget.

“You look really ugly when you wake up.”

God,  Yangyang’s right. He is an idiot. Xiaojun is the opposite of ugly and  Hendery hates how the older knows this. Hell, even right now in the terrible orange glow of the bathroom Xiaojun looks like a model—all high cheek-bones and sharp angles.  Hendery even dares to let his mind venture into pretty territory, but he’ll never say it out loud. 

“I think we both know I’m not ugly,” Xiaojun replies bemused and darn him for being able to read  Hendery so easily.  Hendery doubts the singer has ever felt insecure about his looks ever. Darn Leo placement and to top it off being born in the year of the dragon. “Would you like to hear the song so far?”

“If I do will you let me pee?”

Xiaojun abruptly shuts the door again, a distinct click coming from behind signaling that no, he won’t.  Hendery kicks the door and looks out toward the kitchen. He is a man and he could pee anywhere. But he won’t.

Hendery’s bladder isn’t so convinced. He sighs.

Hendery thinks this is the fourth time he’s stumbled upon an awake Xiaojun. He’s coming out of the bathroom after finally having it without interruptions only to see a curled form on the couch.  Hendery wracks his brain wondering if Xiaojun was there originally, but his sleep-deprived state offers up no answers. 

“What are you doing up now,” he sighs, sliding onto the sofa next to him. He squints at the computer screen, watching as a cartoon boy runs around with a guitar. 

“It’s ‘Coco’ the one about the boy who just wants to play guitar but no one believes in him,” Xiaojun responds quite sadly.  Hendery hums as he stretches his arms out, leaning them against the back of the sofa. There’s too much action on screen right now for it to be the beginning, but  Hendery doubts he’d be able to even follow. He’s much too tired to focus on the English words and really doesn’t care for reading the Korean subtitles. “Oh, it’s close to the  end I think. I can rewind it though.” Xiaojun starts to scrub it back to the beginning, not even waiting for an answer. “You haven’t seen this one, right?”

“No, I haven’t,”  Hendery responds honestly, slightly amused by how excited Xiaojun is. 

When the movie starts from the beginning, showing the trademark Disney opening,  Hendery feels his eyes start to grow heavy. He hums noncommittally whenever Xiaojun rambles with commentary at the start, but soon it grows quiet except for the soft sound of the movie’s music.

When  Hendery jolts awake, blinking rapidly to force the sleep out, he looks around the empty couch. Sunlight’s pouring through the empty room and much to Hendery’s confusion the laptop is missing from the table.

“Well, well, finally you’re awake,” Lucas giggles as he flops down on the couch. “Dude, Kun is going to give you such a lecture. What were you doing out here, playing on your phone?”

“I was...was Dejun out here, like at all?”

Lucas’ face contorts in confusion before the wrinkles smooth themselves out. “No, he was in his room. Now go get ready before Kun gives you time out or something.”

The disappointment is palpable and Hendery’s glad Lucas doesn’t comment on his no doubt pouty face. Why does he have to be the one in trouble when Xiaojun was out here first? And why did Xiaojun just leave him to sleep there? Couldn’t the guy sleep on the couch with him? Or better yet why didn’t he wake  Hendery up so they could go to bed? 

Hendery gives out a heavy, deep sigh; long and suffering just like his nights.

A few days of blissful, uninterrupted sleep pass by. And by a few, it’s exactly eight days—not that Hendery’s keeping track.  Hendery isn’t sure what it is about this night, however; but he tosses and turns until eventually he gives up and props himself up. He sighs and runs a hand through his matted hair before tossing the blankets away. He gently tiptoes out of the room and finds himself heading to the living room. He’s surprised to find he doesn’t have to pee, so why is his body awake? He turns a corner and stares at a familiar figure on the couch.

Xiaojun once commented that they have a certain fate-like connection. Hendery would laugh if it wasn’t for the small that idea that may—just maybe—they do. The floor creaks under his weight as he makes his way to the smaller man. Xiaojun’s head snaps up from his phone and a giant smile, dazzling even with the little lighting, greet him. Wordlessly, the singer scoots over so that Hendery has room. He yawns, stretches his left arm out, and puts it behind Xiaojun. Cliché as it may be, neither make a move to adjust. 

“What are you doing up,” Xiaojun finally breaks the few minutes of silence, thumb scrolling mindlessly through Instagram.

Hendery shrugs but then remembers Xiaojun can’t properly see him. “Nothing, just couldn’t get into a comfy position. What about you?”

Xiaojun gives a heavy shrug before he leans against Hendery’s torso. The younger momentarily goes rigid before relaxing at the sudden warmth. Xiaojun continues to scroll through social media, tilting the screen slightly so  Hendery has a better view of it. As the singer scrolls through twitter this time, Xiaojun stops at a selfie of  Hendery . The younger pretends not to get antsy, especially with the way Xiaojun stares at it a little too long. What if it’s bad, he finds himself wondering. Does he look ugly at this angle? Is there something on his face that he didn’t notice? His leg starts to lightly bounce. 

“You know,” Xiaojun starts, voice soft as usual, “I like your bleached hair. I wasn’t sure at first, but I think it suits you a lot.”

_ Oh _ .

“Oh,  uhh , thank you.” Quick say a compliment back like a normal person. “You’re really pretty too, your hair I mean. Not that you aren’t pretty because you are and...”  Hendery trails off, his leg bouncing even faster.

“Hmm, maybe the bleach killed some of your brain cells though,” Xiaojun chuckles as he continues to swipe. “But thank you. I don’t think I’ve ever been called pretty before though.”

Well, people should, Hendery’s sleepy brain supplies but thankfully his mouth is lazy enough to not say anything. As the atmosphere relaxes again,  Hendery props up his other arm onto the arm rest, body half leaning under Xiaojun’s weight. Yup, just two band-mates sitting close together on the same couch. Nothing wrong with that at all. Totally not weird.  Hendery has to think about all the times Ten would sit on laps, or tales about how the 127 group would sit on  eachother all the time, just to not feel weird. “You know,” Xiaojun starts again interrupting the younger’s thoughts, “I think I prefer you with darker hair.”  Hendery stares down at the phone, an old group photo of theirs popping up in the timeline. He frowns slightly at the words, didn’t Xiaojun just say he liked the blonde hair?

“Oh, don’t get pouty. I just mean,” Xiaojun sits up straight and  Hendery tries not to complain, “you know,” the singer gestures vaguely. “I don’t need  anymore competition. I’m supposed to be the most handsome,” the ash blonde finishes with the tiniest pout.

Hendery laughs.

“Seriously, who’s more handsome; me or Ten ge?”

Hendery splutters, a mix between a choke and a giggle coming out of his mouth. He blinks rapidly and wonders if Xiaojun’s being serious. Seeing the older man’s piercing  gaze he is, in fact, very serious. “I-I can’t pick between you two! I mean Ten is seriously handsome and sexy and you...” he trails off lamely.

“Me,” Xiaojun stresses, pressing closer to the taller blonde’s side. “What about me, Guanheng?”

"Y-You, well, you know,”  Hendery wonders if he blushes any harder if he’ll pass out.

A small giggle  bubbles from Xiaojun’s mouth. “Well, I can’t expect too much, you do have a crush on Ten ge,” Xiaojun teases as he nudges Hendery’s shoulder none too lightly. “I guess I just,” oddly enough, the singer seems to struggle with what to say next. A rare sight in Hendery’s opinion as the smaller man was always good at communicating. “I just wish I was as close to you as Ten ge...”

Hendery’s eyebrows furrow at the sudden shift in mood. It’s not uncommon for Xiaojun to shift between moods so suddenly, but he’s always hated seeing the singer anything but happy. Pulling the singer closer, he encases Xiaojun in a tight embrace and tries to pour all the confidence he has into the smaller man. He wishes Lucas was awake because the big idiot gives the best hugs, but he hopes that his are okay. “What are you talking about? We are close, what is it that you said before? We have a ‘fate-like’ connection?”

"So, am I your favourite?”

“I mean,”  Hendery adjusts his arms, chin resting against Xiaojun’s soft hair, “after  Yangyang —ouch! I’m kidding,”  Hendery whines as he rubs the area Xiaojun just pinched. “You're everyone's  favourite . You’re compassionate, strong, you’re always there to lift up the mood.”  Hendery admits shyly. He really hopes Xiaojun can’t feel his body burning up because—oh boy—it's a little toasty in here now.

“What about me, am I your favourite?”

“I don’t know, maybe if  Xuxi wasn’t in the group,” Xiaojun teases softly. And it could just be because of Hendery’s sleep deprived state but he swears he sees a hint of pink on the man’s pale cheeks. “I don't really know if a friendship between a donkey and a dragon is too common, but you’re definitely my top three.”

After the admission, a comfortable silence grows between them.  Hendery loosens his hold on Xiaojun’s torso, but he makes no move to separate from the latter. “Hey, Hendery,” the smaller says, barely above a whisper and a small lilt at the end of Hendery’s name that makes his stomach do sumersaults, “can you sing for me?”

“You want me to sing?”

Wiggling out of the taller man’s embrace, the singer plants his head comfortably on Hendery’s lap. Xiaojun curls up just the slightest bit, but the sight is so devastatingly cute that  Hendery wants to cry. He actually might. “A slow song,” the smaller requests as if no wasn’t an option. “In Cantonese please,” he tacks on even softer.

Laughing,  Hendery closes his eyes and relaxes against the sofa, tilting his head back so that he’s staring at the ceiling. He starts to sing the only thing fitting for the mood (and the only one he can think of right now), an old song his parents danced to at their wedding. It’s slow and he sings it deep. And maybe it’s a little too sweet—too romantic—but feeling Xiaojun relax with each passing minute,  Hendery doesn’t dare stop singing. He doesn’t even notice when his eyes start to droop.

When he wakes up that following morning, he realizes that there’s a dull pain in his neck and warmth on his legs. He cracks his eyes open and blinks down to see a curled Xiaojun, head resting against his thighs, and a soft blanket thrown over him.

His head turns as he hears footsteps from behind only for Kun to come into view. The leader gives him a large grin, no doubt has already taken a picture too. Hendery makes an attempt to try and slip away but the older man shakes his head.

_ ‘Later’ _ , Kun mouths.

Hendery gives out a small smile and closes his eyes, slipping easily back into a dreamless sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> Just two bros cuddling on the couch because men can be affectionate with men. There really isn't a set pair but it leans more towards xiaodery so. Anyways thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope it was okay! Also idk if its just my phone but a grey bg is showing up and its bothering me so if anyone knows how to fix it pls let me know.


End file.
